National Children's Depression Awareness Day

Main Category: Depression
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Mental Health
Article Date: 10 May 2006 - 0:00 PDT

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The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) joins allied children's mental health organizations in supporting National Childhood Depression Awareness Day.

Depression is an illness that can affect every part of a young person's life and that of his or her family. As many as one in eight adolescents and one in 33 children have depression. It can disrupt relationships among family members and friends, hurt school performance, and lead to general health problems through its effects on eating, sleeping, and exercise.

Fortunately, depession in youth is treatable because it is a real illness with neurobiological underpinnings. Early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment is key. A comprehensive program of care should be tailored to the needs of each child and his or her family. Treatment may include psychotherapy or a combination of psychotherapy and medication. It may also include family therapy or work with the child's school as well as interacting with peer support and self-help groups.

Untreated depression has potentially great risks, including the risk, in serious cases, of suicide. Depression's symptoms can and do interfere with academic learning, peer relationships, and family interactions, and often derail normal development.

Early identification and effective treatment may reduce the impact of depression on the family, social, and academic functioning in youth and may reduce the risk for suicide, substance abuse, and the persistence of depressive disorders into adulthood. Evidence-supported treatment interventions have emerged in psychotherapy and medication treatment of childhood depressive disorders that can guide clinicians to improve outcomes in this population.

For families living with childhood and adolescent depression, the AACAP offers: Facts for Families fact sheets in English and Spanish on depression and when and where to seek help via the AACAP's website http://www.aacap.org

AACAP Mission

The Mission of the AACAP is the promotion of mentally healthy children, adolescents and families through research, training, advocacy, prevention, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment, peer support and collaboration.

http://www.aacap.org

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